Su Pollard
(pictured) helped set
audience records when she
starred at the Forum
Theatre in Billingham a
year ago in Annie.

Now she is back
again with the show for
the week from Tuesday and
out to prove it is every
bit as good.

"It's my
third tour with Annie and
I'm having a fabulous
time. It's a pleasure to
go to work," says
the friendly and
effervescent actress.

"It's a
world renowned musical
which sells itself. It
doesn't have to have
famous people in it,
though our production
does and it's nice to
know that all the family
can come out to see it
without any untowardness.

"It's
marvellous to see their
happy, smiling faces -
though I can't see them
because I don't my wear
glasses in it," she
adds confusingly.

"I know
they're happy and smiling
because I see them at the
stage door when I am
wearing glasses and
they're happy and smiling
then."

Su (pictured
right) plays the
tyrannical Miss Hannigan,
the baddie of the piece,
and has never done any
other part in Annie. In
fact, she has never been
asked to do any other
part.

She was first
approached to take on the
role years ago and
finally agreed after
three requests by the
producers.

"When it
first started, I was too
busy doing a lot of Hi de
Hi and when they asked
again I still said 'No'
and thought 'That's the
last I will hear about
that.'

"To be
honest I was probably too
young to do it
then," says Su, now
54. "You need to
have that bit of weight
about you, not physical
weight, but she's feisty
and people have to
believe in you."

They certainly
do, fans and critics
alike. Su has another
reason for loving the
role - she can get ready
so quickly.

"I just
stick on this dreadful
wig that makes me look
like Worzel Gummidge or
worse, and can do my
make-up in five minutes.

"Poor
Louise English (another
cast member) has to have
her hair in rollers for
four hours before the
show."

Miss Hannigan
spends a lot of time at
the whisky. "It's
not real. It's a Jack
Daniels bottle full of
tea or coke,"
explains Su.

"Diet Coke
is all right but it's the
wrong colour and too
sweet. Cold tea is the
right colour but it
tastes horrible. I've had
to get used to it."

She has to drink
an awful lot during each
performance and this has
an inevitable effect.
"At the end of the
show, I've found myself
having to go to the
bathroom several times
more than I normally
would, but it keeps you
going and nicely attuned
inside," she
confides.

Su was also at
the Forum in the spring
in the new spirit world
comedy, A Happy Medium.
"We are hoping to do
it worldwide and hoping
to take it to
Australia," she
reveals.

"They have
done a few rewrites and
I've had a few
discussions with them. I
brought some ideas of my
own and I think next time
it will be a more
thorough production.
Everybody had a ball
doing it - oh ball,
crystal ball, no pun
intended."

Annie is likely
to come round one more
time and Su would be
happy to be part of it.
In the meantime, she is
off to Australia.

"I'm going
to stay with my friend
Ray Meagher who is Alf in
Home And Away and do a
bit of TV. Hi de Hi is
getting another airing
and I have to do trailers
and chat shows."

October
25, 2004: 'Annie' update

The last few
weeks have saw Su, and
the Annie cast,
visit Eastbourne, Torquay
and Buxton.

This
coming week the
production plays at the
Forum theatre in
Billingham.

October
25, 2004: Su in 'The New
York Times'

Su was recently
mentioned in 'The New
York Times' in an article
on the history of Annie
The Musical.

October
5, 2004: 'Eastbourne
Today' - Su Pollard is
Miss Hannigan

Su
was recently featured in
the 'Eastbourne Herald'
and on the 'Eastbourne
Today' website.

The
story of Annie, the
ginger-haired 11-year-old
orphan who has spent a
miserable childhood in a
New York orphanage at the
mercy of the whisky
loving mean-tempered
matron Miss Hannigan, is
one of the best loved
musicals of all time.

Starring the
irrepressible Su Pollard
as the Jack Daniels
soaked Miss Hannigan in a
role which she relishes
and has received great
acclaim for. Ms Pollard
is probably still best
known as Peggy in
Hi-De-Hi, but she is also
a highly talented and
versatile actress with
numerous television and
stage credits.

Joining Su are
James Smillie as Daddy
Warbucks and Louise
English (star of film and
stage including Bugsy
Malone and Me And My
Girl).

Annie features
all the classics songs
including Tomorrow, It's
A Hard Knock Life, You're
Never Fully Dressed
Without A Smile.

Please visit
SuOnline's
dedicated Annie
section for a review of
the Eastbourne show.

The story of
Annie, the ginger-haired
11-year-old orphan who
has spent a miserable
childhood in a New York
orphanage at the mercy of
the whisky loving
mean-tempered matron Miss
Hannigan, is one of the
best loved musicals of
all time.

Starring the
irrepressible Su Pollard
as the Jack Daniels
soaked Miss Hannigan in a
role which she relishes
and has received great
acclaim for. Ms Pollard
is probably still best
known as Peggy in
Hi-De-Hi, but she is also
a highly talented and
versatile actress with
numerous television and
stage credits.

Joining Su are
James Smillie as Daddy
Warbucks and Louise
English (star of film and
stage including Bugsy
Malone and Me And My
Girl).

Annie the
musical was written by
Thomas Meehan, with music
by Charles Strouse and
lyrics by Martin
Charnin.

This production
of Annie is directed by
Chris Colby,
choreographed by David
Kort and produced by
Chris Moreno Ltd.

October
5, 2004: Su on TV

English Time
: BBC Prime -
Thursday 14th October :
4.30am

Get
the Meaning - Gut the
Gameshow. Su
Pollard hosts an anarchic
look at television
gameshows.